The invention relates to a filter for liquids, having a supporting body consisting of plastics, which is supporting a plastics filter material and having a pump connection socket positioned on the exterior of the filter, the bottom end of which is extending into the filter close to the bottom thereof comprising filter material and which is having an inlet opening.
A filter of this kind being a fuel filter for example is disclosed in DE 39 14 938 C1.
Filters of this kind are characterized by an extremely simple construction and being fuel filters are especially suited to be mounted in a fuel tank of vehicles. The filter function in this connection is provided by the filter material wherein the supporting body has the purpose to keep the top side of the filter body formed by the filter material in a distance from the bottom side, because otherwise the two sides could partially adhere to each other which would lead to a decrease of the provided filter area.
For filters of this basic construction, there are existing several different fields of use, wherein constructions being performed as a fuel filter are usually positioned close to a conveying means, especially a fuel pump which is positioned within the fuel tank, too. At least by a suction line connected to the pump connection socket, the filter is connected with the conveying means.
In many special cases in this connection there is a demand to provide for a filter area as large as possible in a very limited space. In fuel tanks for example, there is the demand to position such filters in a smallest possible suction cavity such that a complete emptying of the fuel in the tank is possible. With known filters, however, due to the minimal necessary filter area there is a limit which was impossible to go below.
The invention therefore has for its task to create a filter of the above defined kind, in which in a very limited area a drastically increased filter area can be provided.
This task in accordance with the invention basically is solved by the features, that the supporting body is comprising a first part containing the pump connection socket and further at least one second part, that the first part and the second part are movably connected with each other by means of a hinge section by the means of which the at least second part with respect to the first part and together with the filter material can be folded from a linearly extended starting shape of the two parts into an angular position and that further a locking device is provided for fixing the angular position. It is obvious, that by means of this construction the filter has an extremely low space requirement in spite of a large filter area wherein nevertheless the filter can be produced simply and at low costs.
In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the angular position between the two parts which can be fixed by the locking device is 90 degrees. By this an extremely large filter area in very little space is provided.
According to an advantageous improvement of the invention, the locking device is provided on the exterior of the top side of the filter, wherein further preferably the locking device is consisting of interengaging locking means.
For the sake of simplicity in this connection, preferably the locking means are consisting of a fork shaped member, projecting from the first part on the top side of the filter and of a button shaped member projecting from the second part on the top side of the filter, wherein in the angular position of the parts a formfit and/or a nonpositive connection can be made between said members.
In detail it is further preferred, that the pump connection socket and the two parts of the supporting body are injection moulded onto the filter material forming the top wall of the filter, wherein the first part in the linearly extended shape is connected with the second part only by the filter material. By this in a most simple way, the desired hinge section can be formed without disturbing the function of the filter.
Further, it is of special advantage that the first part of the supporting body in the hinge area and preferably the second part of the supporting body in the hinge area, too, are having supporting arms or -ridges or the like, which in the angular position are supporting the filter material on the exterior radius of the angle.
In an especially preferred embodiment according to the invention, the filter material forming the bottom of the filter is connected with the filter material forming the top wall of the filter only by means of a welded seam forming the circumference of the filter partly or completely. By this the production of the filter according to the invention is drastically simplified.
To provide for an easy movement of the two parts of supporting body with respect to each other, it is further preferred, that the exterior contour of the filter is larger than the supporting body at least in the direction of the movement of the two parts of the supporting body, when establishing the angular position.